1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of particulate and gas collectors and more particularly to a space efficient, hybrid collector incorporating electrostatic collectors and precipitators as well as particulate filters. The present invention is particularly attractive for exhaust after-treatment for vehicles, gas turbines and also applications such as high-tech, surgical and others that require the capture of sub-micron particles in both intake and exhaust air. Worldwide interest in gas turbine emissions and the enactment of Federal and State regulations in the United States have resulted in a need for an efficient means to control gas turbine exhaust emissions. The pollutants most generally of concern are CO, NOx, SOx, unburned hydrocarbons, soot. The present invention deals with such pollutants as unburned carbon, soot and other particulate emissions as well as pollutant gases.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exhaust gas after-treatment in vehicles is well known in the art and is commonly used to meet emission requirements. Current after-treatment is used to remove unwanted nitrogen and sulfur compounds as well as particulate matter. In diesel systems electrostatic collectors have been used to remove suspended particulate matter including oil droplets from the blow-by gas, for example, so that blow-by gas can be returned to the atmosphere or to the fresh air intake side of the diesel engine for further combustion. Also, there are numerous applications that require ultra-filtering including the removal of sub-micron and nano-particles.
For example, the use of fossil fuel in gas turbine engines results in the combustion products consisting of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, oxides of sulfur and particulates. Of these products, carbon dioxide and water vapor are generally not considered objectionable at least as pollutants. In most applications, governmental imposed regulations are further restricting the remainder of the constituents emitted in the exhaust gases. The majority of the products of combustion emitted in the exhaust can be controlled by design modifications, cleanup of exhaust gases and/or regulating the quality of fuel used. For example, sulfur oxides are normally controlled by the selection of fuels that are low in total sulfur. This leaves nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons as the emissions of primary concern in the exhaust gases emitted from the gas turbine or an automotive engine. Particulates in the engine exhaust have been controlled either by design modifications to the combustors and fuel injectors or by removing them by traps and filters.
In general, combined cycle gas turbines are better candidates for emissions control than simple cycle units. The main challenge in a combined cycle system is to find enough space to house the emissions control unit within the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) in the proper temperature regime. Depending on the exhaust temperatures, simple cycle gas turbines present somewhat more complicated challenge The lower exhaust temperature of some mature frame gas turbines, which is usually well below 450° C. (842° F.) is within the operating capability of conventional technologies and materials. In a simple cycle gas turbine configuration, the emissions control system is normally located immediately downstream of the gas turbine and requires an expansion from the gas turbine outlet exhaust duct to the emissions control system.
Electrostatic collectors and particulate filters are also known in the art. In some of my previous patents, I teach systems containing these components. (Krigmont—U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,932,857; 6,524,369; 5,547,493) used to clean flue gas in power plants. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,932,857, 6,524,369 and 5,547,493 are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, Chang in U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,712 teaches picking up charged particles in an electric field, while others (U.S. 2005/925170, US2006/524369, U.S. 2005/322550 and U.S. 2005/492557) teach various electrostatic air cleaners.
Prior art systems are many times large and expensive and do not necessarily provide the type of filtering needed for vehicle or portable applications. It would be advantageous to have a compact, space-efficient hybrid collector that uses corona discharge to charge particles and partially collect them and the combination of porous surfaces and uniform electric fields to collect the remaining particles for use in an automotive or other vehicle exhaust emissions control system, combustion turbines or for any other space-restricted or portable use including high technology uses such as surgery and semi-conductor manufacture where it is important to trap sub-micron particles. It would also be advantageous to optionally use barrier filters known in the art to convert hazardous compounds into more benign substances.